Congress launches investigations into Donald Trump that could lay the groundwork for impeachment, Democrats decide against allowing Fox News to host a primary debate, and five potential Democratic contenders decide against running for president in 2020. Then John Legend joins Jon Lovett in studio to talk about his new song and mini-documentary series that features the stories of activists and community leaders. Also – Pod Save America is going on tour! Get your tickets now: crooked.com/events.

Show Notes:

Which Hunt?

• New York Times: With Sweeping Document Request, Democrats Launch Broad Trump Corruption Inquiry
• Vox: House Democrats launch massive obstruction of justice and corruption probe aimed at Trump
• The Atlantic: The House’s Latest Move Could Be a Big Threat to Trump’s Presidency
• Washington Post: House Judiciary chairman says he will launch probe of Trump’s ‘abuse of power’
• EmptyWheel: PUZZLING THROUGH THE HOUSE REQUESTS
• EmptyWheel: THE METADATA OF THE HJC REQUESTS
• Washington Post: Democrats are set to take a big step toward impeaching Trump – Plumline
• Politico: Democrats Are Totally Impeaching the President
• Daily Beast: The Guy Trump Called ‘Fat Jerry’ Is Chairman Nadler Now
• Daily Beast: Jerry Nadler Is Ready to Dig In—and Trump Should Worry
• Roll Call: What the people tangled up in Nadler’s Trump probe are saying
• Washington Post: N.Y. regulators subpoena Trump’s insurance broker as probes of his campaign, White House and businesses multiply
• Washington Post: House Democrats struggle to break through when it’s all Trump, all the time
• Washington Post: Why bona fide crimes may not be enough to impeach Trump
• Politico: Democrats’ demand for Trump’s tax returns expected in about 2 weeks
• Politico: Grassley would request Trump’s tax returns as check on House Dems
• Mother Jones: House Dems Expect to Pass Their Top Bill on Friday. It Would Require Trump to Disclose His Tax Returns.
• Washington Post: House Oversight Committee launches investigation into alleged voter suppression in Georgia
• Washington Post: Michael Cohen discussed pardons with a second Trump lawyer, he tells Congress
• New York Times: In the Middle of His Official Business, Trump Took the Time to Send Checks to Michael Cohen
• Vox: President Trump’s checks repaying Michael Cohen for hush money, explained
• Politico: White House launches fire-breathing campaign to attack House Dem probes
• CNBC: Trump signals White House may not comply with House Judiciary requests
• New York Times: Trump Dismisses 81 House Document Requests. Here’s Where They Went.
• Washington Post: Get ready for a lot of fights over ‘executive privilege.’ Here’s how it works, and how it doesn’t.
• Washington Post: Former Trump adviser says he does not plan to cooperate with House Judiciary inquiry
• Washington Post: Trump lashes out at ‘Weirdo’ Democratic donor Tom Steyer in late-night Twitter barrage
• Daily Beast: GOP Senator Mike Rounds: Trump Paid Hush Money to Stormy Daniels Because ‘the President Loves His Family’
• Reuters: Ivanka Trump could be on next target list from House Democrats: panel chairman
• NBC News: House Democrats widen their investigation beyond Mueller’s focus
• CNN: President pressured staff to grant security clearance to Ivanka Trump
• Vox: Democrats’ major investigation into White House security clearances, explained
• CNN: What does Ivanka Trump do?

Fox

• New Yorker: The Making of the Fox News White House
• Vox: Fox News’s propaganda isn’t just unethical — research shows it’s enormously influential
• Washington Post: Trump doubles down with Sean Hannity tweet amid new scrutiny of his ties to Fox News
• Columbia Journalism Review: Trump and Fox get the Jane Mayer treatment
• FiveThirtyEight: How Has Fox News Changed In The Trump Era?
• Mediaite: Fox News Can Thank Their Own Curious Programming Choices for Allegations of Propaganda
• Washington Post: Democratic National Committee rejects Fox News for debates, citing New Yorker article
• Daily Beast: After Democrats Reject 2020 Fox News Primary Debate, Trump Suggests He Won’t Debate Democrat in General
• Washington Post: In stiff-arming Fox News, Democrats get one big thing right – Plumline
• Politico: If You’re Afraid of Shep Smith, You Probably Shouldn’t Be President

2020

• New York Times: Why Did Four Top Democrats Just Say No to 2020?
• Bloomberg: Our Highest Office, My Deepest Obligation
• New York Times: Michael Bloomberg Will Not Run for President in 2020
• Washington Post: Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg bows out of 2020 Democratic presidential contest
• Washington Post: The Daily 202: Howard Schultz hopes to benefit from Michael Bloomberg’s decision not to run for president
• Vox: Dear Michael Bloomberg: Thank you for not running for president
• Politico: Bloomberg says he won’t run for president in 2020
• Washington Post: Sen. Jeff Merkley opts out of Democratic presidential contest and will run for reelection to Oregon seat
• New York Times: Jeff Merkley, Oregon Senator, Says He Won’t Run for President
• Daily Beast: Jeff Merkley Opts Out of Presidential Run in 2020: ‘The Senate Is Not Prepared to Be a Full Partner in this Fight’
• Washington Post: Eric Holder: I won’t run, but I will fight to elect the right Democratic president
• New York Times: Eric Holder Won’t Run for President, Saying He’ll Fight Gerrymandering Instead
• Vox: Former Attorney General Eric Holder: “I will not run for president in 2020”
• CNN: Eric Holder says he will not run for president in 2020
• Associated Press: Eric Holder’s Group Spending $350K To Help Supreme Court Candidate Lisa Neubauer
• The Hill: Obama political arm to merge with Holder-run group
• Washington Post: ‘I’m not running’: Hillary Clinton puts to rest any speculation about a White House bid
• Mediaite: Hillary Clinton Subtweets Trump with Mean Girls GIF: ‘Why Are You So Obsessed With Me?’
• BuzzFeed: Democratic Voters Want “Electability,” But That Doesn’t Mean They Want A Centrist For President
• Washington Post: The Trailer: Democrats aren’t worried about ‘electability.’ Why not?
• Washington Post: ‘Electability’ is about more than appealing to blue-collar Midwesterners – Op-Ed
• Washington Post: Are Democrats risking a Rust Belt loss in 2020 by going too far left?
• CNN: Early polling suggests 2020 will be about Trump. That’s bad news for him.

John Legend

• Rolling Stone: John Legend Unveils New Song ‘Preach,’ Condemns Senators’ Treatment of Dr. Blasey Ford
• Relevant: John Legend Explains How Church Inspired His New Song ‘Preach’
• Complex: John Legend’s “Preach” Video Tackles Police Brutality, School Shootings, and Immigration
• Rolling Stone: See John Legend’s Harrowing Video for New Song ‘Preach’
• UpRoxx: John Legend Launched ‘Can’t Just Preach,’ YouTube’s First Call-To-Action Docu-Series
• Page Six: Trayvon Martin’s mother appears in John Legend’s new miniseries
• New York Times: John Legend on Kanye West, making political music and morality in art.
• New York Times: Cuomo, in Bid to Help Poor, Proposes Ending Cash Bail for Minor Crimes
• WHAM: Local officials and others weigh in on Governor Cuomo’s bail reform plan
• New York Daily News: Coalition wants Cuomo to extend efforts to end cash bail
• HudsonValley360: Nixing cash bail: Cuomo’s answer to criminal justice inequality
• New York Law Journal: NY Criminal Justice Reform Bills in Flux, Assembly Speaker Says
• Crains NY Business: Why ending cash bail is a moral imperative
• New York Times: A Chance for Fairness in New York’s Criminal Justice System
• New York Times: Unable to Post Bail? You Will Pay for That for Many Years
• New York Daily News: Advocates for criminal justice reform accuse prosecutors, state task force of falling short on bail changes
• TimesUnion: Soares says end cash bail as Republicans urge discussion on justice reforms
• CBS6 Albany: Family of Northway crash victim warns cash bail could hurt families of crime victims
• NewsDay: Flanagan, GOP try to put brakes on bail, discovery changes